Body Acne Causes and Effects

What Causes Back and Body Acne?

Body acne is caused by the same factors that trigger facial acne: overactive oil glands, excess dead skin cells, and a proliferation of acne-causing bacteria. Oil and dead skin cells become trapped within the follicle, or pore, and create a blockage. This blockage becomes a blackhead and may progress to a pimple, if bacteria invade.

Body acne is generally confined to the back and upper torso. Like the face, these areas have more sebaceous glands per square inch than other areas of the body, so the follicles are more likely to become plugged with excess sebum and dead skin cells.

It's not likely that certain articles of clothing or gear cause body acne. However, the friction caused by certain apparel may aggravate existing cases of body acne. Rubbing or pressure on the skin can irritate already inflamed follicles and exacerbate breakouts. It's best to avoid sources of friction when you're trying to heal body acne. Sources of friction include: tight-fitting clothing, too-snug collars, backpacks, purse straps, and athletic pads or gear. Students, especially, may want to carry their books in a hand held bag, instead of wearing a heavy backpack.

Sweat can also irritate body acne. To minimize irritation, shower as soon as possible after exercising. Do not scrub the skin, even with a loofah or body puff. Remember, you want to avoid friction. A thorough, but gentle cleansing -- preferably with a salicylic acid wash -- is better than a vigorous scrubbing.

Effects of Body Acne

Like facial acne, body acne can fill its sufferers with a sense of shame and embarrassment. Many patients take great pains to cover affected areas. Clothing is chosen so as to reveal as little breakouts as possible. Tank tops and sleeveless shirts are passed up. Women may take special care to make sure their shirts aren't cut so low as to reveal acne on the chest. Men with back acne will often avoid taking off their shirts altogether.

Even participation in recreational hobbies or activities can be limited because of discomfort about the skin. Activities, such as swimming, are often not done. Body acne can be especially hard on teens when they must undress in locker rooms.

Physically, body acne can also cause deep scarring. The greater the inflammation, the higher the chance for developing lasting scars.

source : acne.about.com

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The Causes of Adult Acne

You know teenagers and acne go hand in hand. But acne strikes adults, too – more than half of all adult women and about a quarter of adult men. And these figures appear to be climbing. As the world begins to wake up to adult acne, it’s becoming clear that the psychological, social and physical effects of this condition don’t diminish with age. Neither do the causes of adult acne.

It’s difficult to know why adult acne seems to be on the rise. A 1999 study found that the mean age of patients treated for acne had increased significantly over the course of a decade, from 20.5 years to 26.5 years. This could mean one of two things: Either more adults are getting acne, or more adults are seeking treatment for their acne. While some recent studies have suggested that incidences of adult acne are increasing, others suggest that adults (particularly women) are simply more concerned about their skin than they used to be.

The fact is, adult acne is one of the most widespread medical conditions in the world. We’re talking billions of people, not just you (even though it can feel that way). More adults than ever are seeking treatment and more physicians are viewing acne as a condition for all ages – not just for teens.

So as you can see, you’re not alone. Many adults like you think ‘how could this happen to me at my age?’ and ‘none of my friends have it.’ The reality is your skin is unique and that means your susceptibility to acne is unique as well.

There are a lot of reasons you might get adult acne, and many are beyond your control. As with many conditions, your family genetics play a large part. Chances are good your parents’ acne conditions will be yours. Therefore, unless you’re doing something extreme like never washing your face, adult acne is not your fault. What you eat, how much you exercise, and how often you wash your face and body have very little influence, believe it or not.

That said, there are five main culprits that cause adult acne. They are briefly listed here. You’ll find a more detailed discussion here.

Culprit #1: Hormones

Culprit #2: Extra sebum

Culprit #3: Follicle fallout

Culprit #4: Bacteria

Culprit #5: Inflammation

The best weapon you have against the causes of adult acne is knowledge. The more you learn about your own body and the acne condition you have, the more you can do about it. When you understand the factors that contribute to your acne, and how different acne-fighting ingredients work to heal and prevent it, finding the right combination is easy. And when you find what works for you, make sure you stick to that regimen. Adult acne is not curable, but it is highly treatable, and a daily combination therapy routine that targets the factors that cause acne can help you achieve your goal of clear skin.

source : acne.com

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What Causes Acne?

And more importantly, how do I get rid of it?

All types of acne — blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and cysts — develop when pores in our skin become clogged. The culprit is sebum [see-bum], an oil in our skin. Our bodies make more sebum when our hormones surge. This is why teens get acne. This is why women often breakout before their periods. Since hormones fluctuate in the years leading up to menopause, many women in their 40s and 50s get acne.

Why do people get different types of acne?
What happens inside the clogged pore determines the type of acne we see.

A blackhead appears when sebum and dead skin cells clog the pore. While the pore is clogged, its surface remains open. This lets us look into the pore and see a black color. Your dermatologist may call a blackhead an “open comedo” (co-me-dough).

A whitehead forms when the excess oil and dead skin cells clog the pore and block the opening of the pore. Because the pore closes, dermatologists call this type of acne a “closed comedo.”



Acne develops where we have the most sebaceous glands. These glands make sebum and are found in the greatest number on our face, neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms.

The excess oil does more than clog pores. Bacteria that normally live on our skin, P. acnes, thrive in this excess oil. Immersed in excess oil, the bacteria can rapidly increase in number. As the bacteria multiply in a clogged pore, the pore becomes inflamed. Inflammation is what causes a pimple to look red, hot, and swollen.

When inflammation reaches deep into the skin, an acne cyst forms. This is the most severe type of acne. Cysts can be very painful. People often see permanent scarring after this type of acne heals.



This 14-year-old boy has acne and acne scars on his upper back and shoulders. Getting the acne under control can prevent more scarring.

source : www.skincarephysicians.com

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